That regulates individual locomotives, but how are the cumulative impacts of so many trains addressed, particularly in the Mississippi River Valley, the “land of inversions?”

There’s continued talk about the new DOT111 rail cars, but how will that address the problem of volatility, that the Bakken crude contains a much higher level of gas than other crude, and that although regulators have said that the Bakken crude should be degasified before it is shipped, whether by rail or pipeline, this is not yet incorporated into standard practice. And it bears repeating — this is an issue for Bakken crude in pipelines! Pipelines are not a miracle cure for the Bakken crude volatility problem!

It can happen here. It has happened here. It will happen here. What do we do to protect ourselves?

This is a train incident in September, 2013 just across the river in Hager City, WI:

And in Red Wing:

A Wisconsin town’s fire chief was part of a discussion with U.S. Rep. Ron Kind recently regarding rail safety. The station is one block from the river and the railroad tracks. Congressman Kind asked the fire chief what the impact of a Bakken oil wreck would be on his community, if the fire unit could respond, and the fire chief said, “I doubt it, we’d be vaporized.”

If a Lac Megantic level explosion occurred in Red Wing, presuming that buildings two blocks from the explosion would be leveled, and maybe three blocks, it would reach to Main Street, and perhaps the block beyond:

This is how it is in all the communities along the Mississippi River, a disaster waiting to happen for us, for the River.

One Response to “Bakken BOOM and rail safety”

Great post! It is hard for me to imagine why there is no sense of outrage over the government’s ineptitude or refusal to decisively act to address this huge threat to people and our environment. Are we so unwilling, cowardly, or just lazy to act to protect our communities, our Mississippi, our planet from this most dangerous industry.